Tiwi products shine in Orgullo kan Bikol
Bicol’s unique products took center stage as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) led this year’s Orgullo kan Bikol during the “One Town, One Product” (O.T.O.P.) trade fair on October 2-5, 2008 at the Megatrade Hall 2, SM Megamall.
Products from people’s organizations in Tiwi, Albay were among those exhibited during the event. These include the abaca crochet and abaca scrunch handicrafts produced by the United Stakeholders Working to Achieve Growth, Inc. (USWAG). The organization consists of women, out-of-school youths, and senior citizens from Lourdes, a coastal barangay in Tiwi, who have engaged in handloom and abaca weaving to augment the family income. The Bolo Development Cooperative (BODECO) which provides livelihood opportunities to their members through pottery showcased their uniquely designed ceramic products.
Attendees to the Orgullo kan Bikol were also delighted to try and savor the nutritious seaweed-based pancit of the Tiwi Food Processors Association, Inc. (TFPASI), an association composed of 25 wives of fisherfolks. The seaweed nutri-noodles processing project came about after fisherfolk members noticed their declining fish catch due to overfishing and illegal fishing practices. As an alternative, the fishermen planted seaweed while their wives processed their harvest and turned them into nutritious pancit.
USWAG, BODECO, and TFPASI were just some of the community-based organizations supported by the local government of Tiwi, DTI, various non-government organizations, and steam field operator Chevron Geothermal Philippines Holdings, Inc. (CGPHI).
CGPHI was recently conferred a Certificate of Recognition by DTI-Albay Provincial Office together with the Provincial Government of Albay and the Albay Small and Medium Enterprise Development (SMED) Council for being a “Supportive O.T.O.P. Partner Organization”.
A pioneer geothermal developer, CGPHI has partnered with the Tiwi LGU and local communities in the conduct of enterprise development and capacity building programs.
